I advocate for and assist others in the natural care and feeding of dogs. Here you can follow how I feed and care for my dogs as well as learn about other aspects of holistic care such as herbs, traditional chinese medicine (esp acupressure), flower essences, and reiki.
For more on holistic care visit theartofdog.com

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Cancer: Remembering to trust Mother Nature

Part Two of the Tumor Saga.If you look back at Part One of the Tumor Saga you can sense the urgency as I confronted something for the first time. I'd never seen the inside of a tumor before. I didn't know how the injury would heal - would it act differently than a normal skin wound?Well it turns out that in fact it has healed like a normal skin wound, and very quickly.

The July 3rd photo here was in my previous blog post, what a comparison!I stopped the antibiotics on July 5th. I just couldn't do it anymore. There was no sign of infection (I think the luridness of the flash photos make it look more disturbing, you can see the difference in the following photos), she obviously felt crummy, and digestion was being effected (I had to wipe her bum a couple of times, poor thing). Imagine having a lifetime of good bacteria built up and having it killed off, having to eliminate that and make your body weaker? I'm lucky to have local, raw yogurt for her along with her continuing exposure to the woodlands which are teaming with healthy bacteria. An added benefit, the chemicals from the forest she's inhaling.I can't say enough good things about the Canine Healing Salve from Pet Wellness Blends. That's all I've been applying to the area, twice a day, and it's done it's job beautifully. A natural, plant-based salve formula using well-known healing plants really will work. I have not used my Photonic red light on the wound because it's the site of a tumor. Red light therapy is highly recommended for wound healing but that's because it stimulates cell growth so it should never be used at the site of a tumor. I have done some crystal healing with her, and will be giving her a lymph and blood clearing tincture as soon as it arrives to help tone her system.She's also on her full and normal supplement regime including her summer herb formula. The various anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and antioxidant supplements certainly helped her body rally and heal.If the wound had appeared infected and oozing smelly serum while it was healing I would not have wanted it to close it up so quickly. There was some smell at the time I took her to the vet but I had been wrapping it and the serum on the bandage was likely harboring Pseudomonas bacteria which likes to colonize on the surface of wounds (I learned that from my mother's wound doctor) and has a distinctive odor. That smell never returned after the vet visit. I had to get my head on straight and remember to trust Mother Nature. Everything I do for my dog is to improve her vitality. Her body has an innate ability to heal when it's supported. Does that mean she's indestructable? No, of course not ( she's been trying to show that she's still a woodland superhero but her leaping has been resulting in her splatting on the ground... called a local chiropractor to try and get her in for an adjustment).We are all capable of helping our pets as I've done these past 11 days. That is why I post these photos and details, to make it clear that you can do this, you can help your dog heal and thrive.Vida's going to be in the lake swimming in no time.